The present invention relates to wireless network technologies.
Many electronic devices such as laptops, tablet computers, electronic readers, and portable media devices etc, can connect to the Internet via a local area, short-range, wireless network which can include WiFi (WLAN or wireless LAN), bluetooth, Zigbee, etc. However, short-range networks are typically tethered to physical connections, and are therefore only available in specific stationary locations. Many of these devices cannot connect to wide area, long-range, wireless networks such as mobile networks (WWAN) that use 3G and 4G base stations because they do not have the necessary hardware or subscriptions. Furthermore, current hotspot technologies are powered by small and weak batteries and can only allow mobile connectivity for short periods of time with limited wireless operational ranges.
Data and data processing have been increasingly migrating to remote servers as technologies shift towards cloud computing. Without Internet connections, access to data is limited on many devices. Privacy and reliability issues also arise, as users have less control over their own data when it is stored on second party servers.
There is therefore a need to provide users with ubiquitous, high signal strength, and always-on Internet connections and data accesses via short-range wireless networks